Rail joint



Oct. 369 QZ.

S. MCFARLAND RAIL JOINT Filed May 18. 1921 Patented et. 30, i923.

SAMUEL MCFARLAND, 0F COATESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA. A

RAIL JoINT.

Application led May 1S, 1921.

" termed bridge plates, which suppo-rt the rails under their bases, andnot under their heads. It is the object and eect of my invention tocombine the advantages of both those classes in a single structure whichI term a fish bridge plate and which operates to support the rails byengagement not only beneath their heads but beneath their bases. It ischaracteristic of theordinary fish plates that bolt holes must be madethrough the vertical webs of the rails to connect such plates therewith.On the contrary, my improved joint does not require any holes to be madethrough the rails. Moreover, as ordinary bridge plates require bolts tosecure the rail base flanges to them; it may be observed that myinvention is advantageous in that no bolts are required to form a jointin accordance therewith.

As hereinafter described, my invention includes a single, unitary, fishbridge plate, which may be made of cast or wrought metal, and whichbridges the space between adjoining railway ties and supports adjoiningends of two rails which are alined and abutted therein; such supportbeing afforded by a web extending horizontally in said bridge plate, andthroughout the length thereof, beneath the bases of said rails, and byangle fish flanges which extend, in unitary relation with that web,upwardly into engagement with both the upper surfacesy of the rail baseflanges and the lower surfaces of the rail heads. Said bridge plate has,intermediate of its length, a socket extending vertically through it fora removable plug in which the abutting ends of said rails are tightlyfitted; so that, if and when the joint becomes worn at vthat point, itmaybe renewed byvsimply substituting a new plug yfor the old one.

Serial No. 470,730.

My invention includes the various novel,v features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified. i

In said drawing; Fig. I is a perspective View of a rail joint embodyingmy invention.

Fig. II is a detached perspective view, on a larger scale, of thecentral plug indicated in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a centraltransverse sectional view, on a larger scale, ofthe joint shown in Fig. I.

In said figures; the sh bridge yplate 1 is a single unitary piece ofcast or forged metal having the plane web 2 extending horizontallybeneath the base flanges 3 of the rails 5 and 6 from end plate 1. Y

Said web 2 has oppositely counterpart angle fish flanges 8 extendingupwardly therefrom with angle base members 9 bearing upon the uppersurfaces of said rail base flanges 3. The vertical members of to end ofsaid said flanges 8 are recessedat 10, in spaced relation with the sidesurfaces of thevertical webs 11 of said rails 5 and 6, and have flanges12, at their upper edges, precisely fitting the under surfaces oftherail heads 13; whereby said rails 5 and 6 are supported e throughouttheir length in said plate 1 not only at their bases but at their heads.v

Of course, said rails 5 and 6 have the greatest tendency to moveverticallyat their abutted ends, intermediate of the length of saidplate 1. Consequently, the rail joint is subjected to the greatest wearat that point, incident to the vibration of the rail ends. Therefore, inorder to prolong the life of the joint, as a whole;` I prefer to embodymy invention in a structure which is'susceptible of partial renewal atthat region lof greatest wear. In the forni shown; the

fish bridge plate 1 is provided with the central vertical cylindricalsocket'l which is wider than the rail base flanges 3 and affords a seat16 for the removable cylindrical plug 17 which has the slot 18 extendingtransversely therethrough, precisely vfitted to the configuration of therails, as shown in Fig. III. In order to tightly fit said removable plug17 in said plate 1 so 'as'to be in rigid relation with the lattergIprovide said plug with the cylindrical shank 2O which is adapted t0 fitin the reduced cylindrical lower portion 21 of said socket 15, as shownin Fig. lll. Said shank 2O is provided with opposite radially extendinglugs 23 which, when in the assembled position shown in Fig. HI, extendtransversely with respect to the length of said fish bridge plate 1 andtightly lit against the bottom thereof. In order to get said plug intoand out of the assembled position shown in Fig. III; I provide saidplate 1 with two radially opposite channels 25, large enough to permitthe vertical passage of said plug lugs 23, when said plug 17 is turnedat right angles to the position shown in Fig. III.

That is to say; ca h sh bridge plate. of the construction andarrangement above described, is prin'iarily fitted with a removable plug17, by thrusting the latter downardly, with its radially projecting lugs23 entending in the direction of the length of said plate 1, so as toregister with and pass down the opposite channels 25 in said plate.until the larger upper portion of said plug rests upon said seat 16. 0fcourse, in that position, said slot 18 in the plug extends transverselyto the length of said plate 1. Thereupon, said plug is turned, throughan arc of ninety degrees, to bring said slot 19 therein in alinementwith the passageway between said fish flanges 8; so that each of saidrails 5 and 6 may be driven, at one operation, between said flanges 8and into said slot 18.

Ofcourse, when said plug` 17 is thus en` gaged with the rails, it isimpossible to turn it to the position in which it may be ,withdrawn.However, when it is desired to renew or replace said plug 17, said railsmay be disengaged therefrom and said plug turned with its slot 18 againextending transversely to said plate 1, and its lugs 23 in registry withsaid channels 25, so that it may be driven upwardly in and out of saidplate. Y

It is to be particularly noted that such removal and insertion ofsuccessive plugs 17 may be effected, and, in fact, the entire jointstructure be removed and replaced, without material disturbance of thetrack of which said rails 5 and 6 are members; by loosens ing said railsfrom the ties 27 sliding the plate 1 lengthwise until one of said railsis free from it, then springing the rails apart transversely. so thatsaid plate 1 may be slid lengthwise in the opposite direction until theplug 17 is disengaged from the rails or the entire plate is disengagedfrom the rais, whichever it is desired to replace. Such replacement canbe effected by reversal of manipulation of the rails above described.

0f course, the joint above described is subjected to thegreatestrstresses intermediate of its length. Therefore, l prefer toprovide the plate 1 with a central reinforcement 28 which extends belowthe bottom of said web 2, as indicated in Fig. HI, and is pendentbetween the adjoining ties 27, as indicated in Fig. l. The form of thefish bridge plate 1 which I have chose-n for illustration is designed tobe manufactured of cast metal and, consequently, its cross section inthe plane of the junction of the abutting ends of the rails 5 and 6 ismore massive than is necessary in a sh bridge plate formed of wroughtmetal.

Although fish bridge plates embodying the features of my invention abovedescribed may be directly connected with ties 27 by ordinary spikes 30having their heads engaging only the angle flanges 9 of the plate 1; Iprefer to provide fish bridge plates with flanges 31 which, as bestindicated in Fig. Ul, extend in thc same plane as the base web 2 and, asindicatedl in Fig. l, are provided with notches 32 which are so spacedand proportioned as to fit said spikes 30 and thus anchor the jointagainst the tendency to creep under the stresses to which all railjoints are subjected by t-raiiic upon the rails.

It may be observed that the embodiment of my invention chosen forillustration is adapted to receive but one of the many standard typesand sizes of rails. However, it is to be und rstood that my inventionmay be adapted to cooperate with rails of any desired configuration.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications may be made therein, without departing from theessential features of my invention, as defined in. the appended claims.

I claim: y

1. A rail joint comprising an integral body having a Vbase platespanning two ties, side flanges fitting the fishing spaces of the rails,and a socket extending vertically through said plate, intermediate ofitsv length, larger at its upper portion than at its lower portion andforming a seat; said plate having flanges provided with spike receivingnotches; a removable plug fitted in said socket, having an upper largerportion fitted to rest upon said seat, and a lower smaller portionfitted to extend through the smaller lower portion of said socket; saidplug having a transverse rail slot through its larger portion, adaptedto receivethe rail ends, and having projecting means arranged to extendtransversely with respect to said plate, below the bottom thereof and inengagement therewith to prevent the removal of said plug, when thelatter is turned with its slot in alinement with said rail ends.

2. A rail joint comprising an integral body having a base plate spanningtwo ties, side flanges fitting the fishing spacesV of the rails,*

and a socket extending vertically through said plate, intermediate of'its length, larger at its upper portion than at its lower portion andforming a seat; a removable plug fitted in said socket, having an upperlarger portion fitted to rest upon said seat, and a lower smallerportion fitted to extend through the smaller lower portion of saidsocket; said plug having a transverse rail slot through its largerportion, adapted to receive the rail ends, and having projecting meansarranged to extend transversely with respect to said plate7 below thebottom thereof and in engagement therewith to prevent the removal ofsaid plug, when the latter is turned with its slot in alinement withsaid rail ends.

3. A rail joint comprising an integral' seat; said plug having atransverse rail slot Y through it adapted to receive the rail ends;

and means arranged to prevent the removal of said plug, when the latteris turned with its slot in alinement with said rail ends. Y

si. A rail joint .comprising an integral body having a base platespanning two ties; side flanges fitting the fishing spaces of the rails,a socket, and a removable wearing member, fitted in said socket, andcomprising parts extending in said fishing spaces and fitting beneathboth rail heads at their junction, in position to support said heads.

5. A rail joint comprising an integral body having a base plate spanningtwo ties, side flanges fitting the fishing spaces of the rails, acircular socket at the junction of the rails, and a rotary removablewearing member fitted in said socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Coatesville,Pennsyln vania, this fourteenth day of May, 1921.

SAMUEL MGFARLAND.

